Center for Biological Diversity: Congress Urged to Investigate Huge Wastewater Release, Threat of Catastrophic Collapse of Florida's Piney Point Phosphogypsum Stack
Conservation and public-health groups called on
The request was made in a letter submitted to the
Investigate the failed regulation of the phosphate industry, phosphogypsum and process wastewater; and Identify areas where
"Congressional leaders must face the reality that radioactive phosphogypsum stacks across the
"The phosphate industry should be held accountable and pay for the cleanup of
"Tampa Bay Waterkeeper works hard to ensure our community's right to fishable, drinkable and swimmable waters is protected," said
Phosphogypsum and process wastewater from phosphogypsum facilities are currently excluded from certain federal hazardous waste regulations. On
Phosphogypsum is the radioactive waste from processing phosphoric acid, which is predominantly used in fertilizer. Radium-226, found in phosphogypsum, has a 1,600-year radioactive decay half-life. In addition to high concentrations of radioactive materials, phosphogypsum and process wastewater can also contain carcinogens and toxic heavy metals like antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, fluoride, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, sulfur, thallium and zinc.
More than 70 phosphogypsum stacks are scattered across
"We watch the situation at
"We in
"This is an emergency," said
"This terrible incident is yet another a chapter in the long, terrible story of phosphate mining in
"This latest large-volume toxic wastewater release at
On
"Having an adequate reverse osmosis system in place should be a requirement of the industry before approving operations, as opposed to having the public pay for it as an emergency operation later," said
In 2016 a sinkhole in the New Wales gypstack in
In 2009 a sinkhole in the PCS gypstack in
In 2004 the
Since 2019 the Uncle Sam gypstack in
* * *
The Honorable
In February, a coalition of 17 conservation and public health organizations petitioned the
However, to help shed light on this issue and identify additional resources that
Phosphogypsum stacks have caused extensive groundwater contamination, dike breaches, leakage, seepage, sinkholes, and unpermitted discharges. Many are in BIPOC and/or low-wealth communities. Numerous documented environmental crises have resulted from inadequate phosphogypsum stack management over the past 30 years, including but not limited to:/4
* 2020 -
* 2019 - Uncle Sam phosphogypsum stack moving laterally and in danger of collapsing in
* 2017 -
* 2016 - New Wales phosphogypsum stack sinkhole releasing 215 million gallons of process wastewater into the Floridan aquifer in
* 2015 -
* 2013 - Mississippi Phosphates phosphogypsum stack discharge of 38 million gallons of process wastewater into Bayou Cosette,
* 2012 - Mississippi Phosphates phosphogypsum stack discharge of 90 million gallons of process wastewater into Bayou Cosette,
* 2011 -
* 2009 - PCS phosphogypsum stack sinkhole release of 84 million gallons of process wastewater in
* 2005 - Mississippi Phosphates phosphogypsum stack discharge of 17 million gallons of process wastewater into Bayou Cosette./14
* 2004 -
* 2003 -
* 2001 -
* 1997 -
* 1994 - New Wales phosphogypsum stack sinkhole release of 80 million gallons of process wastewater in
* 1992 - Mobil Mining and Minerals phosphogypsum stack discharge of 45 million gallons of phosphogypsum and process wastewater into
In
Additionally, in response to the
This most recent, entirely predictable phosphogypsum stack failure at
Thank you for your consideration and look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
On behalf of the following organizations:
Lt General
Dalal Anne Aboulhosn, Acting Deputy, Director of Policy, Advocacy and Legal,
Footnotes:
1/
2/ For every one ton of phosphoric acid created, five tons of phosphogypsum are produced.
4/
5/ Complaint,
6/ Louisiana DEQ, Uncle Sam Facility, Government Review of Root Cause Analysis (
7/
8/ Marshall, James, Mountains of Waste Menace Florida's 'Swiss Cheese' Aquifers, E&E NEWS (
9/ Complaint,
10/ Felony Information,
11/ Beck, Marcus et al. 2018. Water Quality Trends Following Anomalous Phosphorus Inputs to
12/
13/ Marshall, James, Mountains of Waste Menace Florida's 'Swiss Cheese' Aquifers, E&E NEWS (
14/ Beck, Marcus et al. 2018. Water Quality Trends Following Anomalous Phosphorus Inputs to
15/ Complaint for Natural Resource Damages,
16/ Hu, Chuanmin et al. 2003. Satellite monitoring of the FDEP Gulf dispersal of the
17/
18/ Amundsen & Moore, Summary Report of Determination of Cause of Process Water Discharge From South Gypsum Stack Expansion Area,
19/ Marshall, James. Mountains of Waste Menace Florida's 'Swiss Cheese' Aquifers, E&E NEWS (
20/ Consent Decree for Natural Resource Damages,
22/
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